“Without Tom, Texas would not be the powerhouse that it is,” said former President George W. Bush on Sunday.

TEXAS, USA — Tom Luce, a Dallas attorney and one of the state’s most influential behind-the-scenes leaders in education, public policy, and civic philanthropy over the past half century, has died. He was 86.

“We have lost a great Texan with the death of Thomas W. Luce, III,” said former President George W. Bush, in a statement on Sunday. “Tom was a champion of education reform. He believed that every child had potential and deserved the right to read and succeed. Without Tom, Texas would not be the powerhouse that it is.”



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Luce, a champion of public education, was born in Dallas and attended school in Highland Park. He earned his law degree from SMU.

Luce was a long-time advisor and personal attorney to Ross Perot, Sr.  Luce also chaired Perot’s 1992 campaign for president.

In the early 1980s, Perot and Luce led the state’s school reform effort. It transformed public education in Texas by introducing higher academic standards, teacher accountability, statewide testing, and stronger graduation requirements.

“I was one of so many people whose careers were shaped by Tom’s passion for education reform,” said Margaret Spellings, the former U.S. Secretary of Education for President George W. Bush.” He gave me my start in 1984 when he hired me to staff a special committee of the Texas legislature, which led to major education legislation. When I became U.S. secretary of education, I brought Tom to the department to help create a coordinated policy team to implement the No Child Left Behind act, laying the groundwork for improved math and reading skills for millions of students.” 

Luce served as the Assistant U.S. Secretary of Education in 2005 and 2006. He ran for governor in 1990 but placed third in the Republican primary.

But he served in multiple roles for different Texas governors including chief justice pro tempore of the state Supreme Court.

Luce later founded Texas 2036, a bi-partisan think tank to tackle the state’s most pressing problems in the coming decade.

“Tom was a visionary leader whose dedication to public service transformed the lives and opportunities of millions of people across our state,” said David W. Leebron, president and CEO of Texas 2036.

Circumstances of Luce’s death and arrangements have not yet been made public.